Poets Against War continues the tradition of socially engaged poetry by creating venues for poetry as a voice against war, tyranny and oppression.
Silvia Antonia Brandon-Pérez
54 years old
Tobyhanna, PA
Poet, lawyer, educator, translator; published in Spanish and English, editor of the Spanish edition of Niederngasse at www.niederngasse.com.
Small poem, possibly trite / Opening all the doors
In this sad planet we inhabit children are but cannon fodder: no one addresses them, caresses them, tells them the stories meant for children or takes them to parks or teaches them the games of infancy. In India they are the unseen ones, small petals of flowers without smell, wild flowers in their make-believe bones, small nightmares that infect the silk of blouses, of the elegant costumes that we use, men and women, the thread cries with each bruise in small brown fingers, or with the lash or beating of the misery merchants, the ones exchanging sadness for three rupees, small hands in prayer to a universe that tumbles them, one step from cradle to common grave, the children, our children all.
En este planeta triste en que vivimos los niños son simple carne de cañón: nadie les habla, nadie los acaricia, nadie les cuenta cuentos infantiles ni los lleva a parques ni les enseña a jugar juegos de la infancia. En India son los invisibles, pequeñitos pétalos de flores que no huelen, silvestres en sus huesos de mentira, pequeñas pesadillas que se meten en la seda de las blusas, de los ropajes finos que usamos hombres y mujeres, el hilo llora cada magulladora de deditos carmelitas, o el golpe asiago o latigazo de los mercaderes de miseria, de los que cambian la tristeza por tres rupis, pequeñas manos en plegaria al universo que los tambalea, un paso de la cuna hasta la tumba, los niños, nuestros hijos todos
